Channel Crossings Hit 30,000 as Man Dies Attempting Journey

More than 30,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats, official statistics show. According to Home Office data, the number of asylum seekers arriving by that route hit 30,431 on Wednesday, after 564 landed in 12 boats. The milestone was hit on the same day a man died in French waters trying to make the journey. A further 230 illegal immigrants arrived on Thursday, bringing the year total to date to 30,661. This is 15 percent higher than by the end of October 2023, when 26,699 arrived, but 23 percent lower than at the same point in 2022 (39,929) which was a record-high year for these kinds of illegal entries....